Image by Flickr user ExploreCHS

Charleston has been named a "Top 10 Downtown" by Livability.com, a national website that highlights more than 500 of America’s best places to live and visit.

The list is the second installment of an annual listing the best downtowns in America and includes communities with downtowns that are walkable, well thought out, and that have a wealth of dining and entertainment options.

For the 2012 list, editors narrowed down the more than 500 cities on Livability.com to those with populations between 100,000 and 300,000. They then considered the downtown’s economic vitality, which was assessed by analyzing the city’s unemployment rate, downtown vacancy rate, the distance between residential areas and downtown amenities, and residents' average income levels.

Downtown Charleston has been widely applauded for its historic and cultural resources. The American Planning Association recently named downtown's Broad Street, with its impressive collection of restored historic buildings, as one of 2012's Top 10 Great Streets. But Broad Street is just a starting point to what makes downtown Charleston great. Downtown is loaded with high caliber restaurants and pubs that draw international attention. The area also features several lush parks and gardens, and several historic attractions can be found in and around the downtown area.

In addition to taking the No. 2 spot as one of the "Top 10 Downtowns," Charleston has also been named No. 2 on the "Best Spring Break Cities," and the No. 1 "Best City for Historic Preservation" lists.